The Underground Railroad eBook

to a trader who took them to Richmond, Virginia,
where they were sold at public sale two days before
we found them, for $2600, but fortunately the man had
not paid for them; our Attorney had them by habeas
corpus before a Judge, who detained them till
we can prove their identity and freedom; they
are to have a hearing on 2d day next, when we hope
to have a person on there to prove them. In
haste, thine,

THOS. GARRETT.

Unfortunately all the notice that the record contains
of the two passengers referred to, is in the following
words: “Two cases not written out for want
of time.”

The “boys” alluded to as having been “found”
&c., were free-born, but had been kidnapped and carried
south and sold.

Three days after the above letter, the watchful Garrett
furnished further light touching the hair-breadth
escape of the two that he had written about, and at
the same time gave an interesting account of the efforts
which were made to save the poor kidnapped boys, &c.

SECOND LETTER FROM THOMAS GARRETT.

WILMINGTON, 8th mo. 25th,
1858.

ESTEEMED FRIEND:—­WILLIAM
STILL:—­Thine was received yesterday.
Those two I wrote about to be with thee last 7th
day evening, I presume thee has seen before this.
A. Allen had charge of them; he had them kept
out of sight at the depot here till the cars should
be ready to start, in charge of a friend, while he
kept a lookout and got a ticket. When the
Delaware cars arrived, who should step out but
the master of both man and woman, (as they had
belonged to different persons); they knew him, and
he knew them. He left in a different direction
from where they were secreted, and got round to
them and hurried them off to a place of safety,
as he was afraid to take them home for fear they would
search the house. On 1st day morning the boat
ran to Chester to take our colored people to the
camp at Media; he had them disguised, and got
them in the crowd and went with them; when he
got to Media, he placed them in care of a colored man,
who promised to hand them over to thee on 2d day
last; we expect 3 more next 7th day night, but
how we shall dispose of them we have not yet determined;
it will depend on circumstances. Judge Layton
has been on with a friend to Richmond, Virginia, and
fully identified the two Bradley boys that were
kidnapped by Clem Rust. He has the assurance
of the Judge there that they will be tried and
their case decided by Delaware Laws, by which they
must be declared free and returned here. We hope
to be able to bring such proof against both Rust
and the man he sold them to, who took them out
of the State, to teach them a lesson they will
remember.